The Most Popular Poker Game Types

Poker is one of the most popular gambling games, and tournaments such as the WSOP have contributed significantly to its growth in this regard. The game itself involves cards and chips and the aim of participants is winning the pot i.e. the cash wagered during each hand.

Main Features

Poker is considered rather easy to learn although a significant amount of dedication is required to be able to play it at an expert level. Like every other card game it has its own rankings for cards. The highest of these happens to be Royal Flush and the lowest, High Card.

Poker - A Card Game Type with the Ability to Evolve Continuously

Poker's widespread popularity means that it is in a state of constant evolution. Currently several variations of it exist. In spite of their different features, each version also shares similarities with the others. These include the use of a 52 card deck (which all start with a deuce) in which all suits possess the same value.

Most Popular Poker Game Types

In this article, we shall be taking a look at popular poker game types as well as the features which distinguish them from the rest. The five examples listed below are the most popular and as a result are variants you can expect to encounter at websites specializing in it and online casinos.

• Texas Hold Em -: Widely considered the most popular of all poker game types, Texas Hold Em involves 2 to 10 players and must be played on a single table. One of its main distinguishing features is the fact that each player receives two hole cards at the start of a session. A game consists of four rounds: Preflop, Flop, Turn and River. It is won by the player who succeeds in creating the best 5-card hand possible or who happens to be the only one left when all the others have folded.
• Omaha Hi/Lo (Eights or Better) : In this variant, players with cards of the highest and lowest values, respectively get to share the pot. However, it is worth noting that while low winning hands have to be unduplicated and eight or better, no such restrictions apply to high hands.
• Razz: As noted above, this variant is famous for sharing many qualities with Seven Card Stud. A key difference between the two versions, however, is the fact that Razz is won by the lowest five card hand while Seven Card Stud is won by the highest. At the start of the session, the whole bet or part of it is placed by the player who has the highest value following which everyone else gets to place their bets. During the subsequent phases of razz, it is the player with the lowest value who will get to check or bet first. Seventh Street is its last phase and if more than one player remains, the game proceeds to Showdown during which the player with the lowest five card hand wins the pot.

• Seven Card Stud: Seven Card Stud was originally one of the most popular poker variants and still continues to be a firm favorite among poker fans. During the course of a game, players receive a total of seven cards with three hole cards being dealt at the start. Out of the hole cards, one is visible while the rest are hidden. Next, they get to receive three more cards which are all visible followed by a final, hidden card. The intervals between which they receive them are interspersed with betting rounds. At the end of the session, players must show their hands and the player with the highest hand will be declared the winner.
• Draw Poker: This variant exists in different forms with the most popular of these being Five Card Draw. When playing this variant, players get to receive five draw cards at the beginning. Five Card Draw is made up of two rounds followed by Showdown during which the player with the best five card hand gets to win the pot.